Meet the artist who turned Montreal into an open-air gallery with over 200 sculptures

Adorned with metal earrings, bracelets and rings, Glen LeMesurier sits on an iron bench he built in his Jardin du Crépuscule, or Twilight Sculpture Garden, just down the street from his workshop.

Repurposed parts, such as wheels and propellers, are shaped into new forms by LeMesurier to create the dozens of sculptures that populate the Mile End and other Montreal neighbourhoods.

"I just love to see form and steel and sculpture integrated into the neighbourhood," said LeMesurier.

LeMesurier began working on the sculpture garden in 1999, when he says the lot was just a scrapyard. Over the years, he says he took inspiration from other sculpture gardens across the world, in particular the Socrates Sculpture Park in New York City.

Now his garden is filled with 80 sculptures surrounded by a field of white sweet clover — itself grown from seeds donated by a longtime fan grateful for his work.

The sculpture garden is an "essential" part of the Mile End, according to borough councillor Marie Sterlin. One time, she says, a resident floated the idea of adding a dog park where the garden is located, causing an "uproar" from the community. In another instance, she says a hotel development received criticism when nearby locals mistakenly confused the proposed site for the garden.

"People love his art," Sterlin said. "They understand his art — it resonates with them."

Beyond his 80 sculptures in the Jardin du Crépuscule, LeMesurier also built and maintains dozens more in a trail that runs parallel to the CN Rail tracks behind his shop. He maintains both spaces, taking care to regularly clear weeds and prune trees around his art to ensure that it remains visible.

People also appreciate how LeMesurier integrates his work into the surroundings.

"All the plants just grow around the statue — it makes it part of the landscape," said film producer and cinematographer Enrico Bartolucci, who was walking on the bike trail on Tuesday. 

"I like that they are industrial sculptures, because they are in conversation with the [environment]," said Amandine Gay, a French filmmaker and Bartolucci's partner.

LeMesurier primarily does this all of his own accord, using revenue from selling metal works from his workshop to account for the time and resources he invests into the sculptures. Inside 135 Van Horne Ave., he makes everything from candle holders and metal trinkets to fences, doors and giant wood burning towers.

But recently, he says it's been more difficult to make ends meet. The commercial building where his workshop has been for over 25 years was recently put up for sale, and his rent doubled from about $900 to $1,800.

What's more, despite applying regularly for arts grants and federal and provincial funding, LeMesurier has only ever received one grant from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ).